Court Considering Closing Kansas Schools

[The Straight Story]

Court Considering Closing Kansas Schools
AP

As Kansas lawmakers scramble today to settle on a plan to increase public school funding, the state Supreme Court said it will consider keeping Kansas schools closed.

The announcement this afternoon comes after legislators failed last night to comply with the court's demand for additional money for public schools.

The court issued an order today telling attorneys in a pending school finance lawsuit to appear for a hearing at 9 am next Friday.

The court said in a two-page order signed by Chief Justice Kay
McFarland that the counsel should demonstrate why the court should
not withhold money from Kansas schools pending the Legislature's
compliance.

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/1655492.html

[LosinIt]

1. What is up with Kansas?

Do these people value their children at all? First they don't want to allow the science of evolution to be taught in their schools, and now they don't want to fund them properly. Do you want fries with that?

[thinkingwoman]

2. they didn't have time to...

figure out all that complicated funding stuff! They were too busy making sure creationism was going to be taught in schools.

And the dog ate their homework.

And the devil made them do it.

[Telly Savalas]

8. What is up is that these people do fucking care

The constitution of the state of Kansas explicitly states that part of the job of the state government is to provide for education. Like most other states, these education services are underfunded. Unlike most other states, residents decided they weren't going to put up with it, so some of them launched a suit which charged that the legislature was violating the constitution by not spending enough money on education. The case won, so the Kansas Supreme Court ordered the legislature to boost education funding. The state is strapped for cash (thank you, Mr. Bush), so the legislators are slow to make the changes, since that would involved the politically unpopular act of raising taxes. In response the Supreme Court is threatening a school shutdown as a means to light a fire to their feet.

Kansas certainly has its share of problems, but this whole affair demonstrates that there is a segment of its population that has a hell of a lot more dedication to their kids' education than you'll see elsewhere in this nation, so fuck off with that sanctimonious "don't they care about the kids?" bullshit.

[atommom]

9. Telly,

:yourock: :applause: :woohoo:

[MuseRider]

10. Telly

:applause: Thanks.

[ComerPerro]

11. Well, maybe the poster meant that the Legislature doesn't care

I don't think they do.

Seems to me that they are more concerned about having to raise taxes than they are about fulfilling their responsibility to fund schools.

[atommom]

12. I agree with you. There's a certain meanness at work here

(in our Legislature) that I don't really understand.

[atommom]

3. But remember, most of us are still sane!

And we still care about public education. The conservatives have really gone wild, though, and I hope they catch hell for it eventually. Once the public sees the true outcome of voting in RW nutjobs, they may be a bit less enthusiastic about them next time.

[billkurtmeyer]

4. Thank God I no longer live in Kansas - just moved from Topeka

about a year ago!

[Chipper Chat]

5. I got lost in Kansas a few years ago.

I was routed off the interstate during a thunderstorm. What I thought was a state highway quickly became a county road & I didnt know where the hell I was. I was almost out of gas, but my biggest fear was that some fundies carrying bibles would see my Kerry/Edwards sticker and start stoning my car. I just knew Fred Phelps was hiding behind a tree. Scary. Finally the sun came out and I knew which direction to drive to escape. I breathed easier when I saw "Oklahoma,State Line."

[atommom]

6. Reaching Oklahoma is considered an escape now?

Man, we've got even more work to do here than I thought! :shrug:

[Chipper Chat]

7. Ha ha. Good observation.

Actually I was going to Dallas, so I just kept the windows rolled up in OK. Also I have Indian blood and look the part, so I feel fairly safe around Muskogee.